Alfredo is the king of fresh pasta sauces and an international favorite. This dish can be described as a 'heart attack on a plate'! Invented in Rome, at a restaurant called Alfredo all Serofa (which, incidentally, means 'at the sow's'), since the 1940s this dish has been the pasta 'pig-out', particularly in the USA, where it is now regularly transformed with additional ingredients such as shrimp, chicken, garlic and parsley. This creamy delight was served by the restaurant owner, Allfredo, with a gold spoon and fork given to him by Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford while on their honeymoon in 1927.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Heat 1 1/r cups of cream and all the butter in a heavy-based pan over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the butter has melted and incorporated into the cream. Stir in the cheese and remove from the heat. Add drained cooked pasta and toss with the remaining cream and nutmeg. (If the sauce is a little too thin, heat over low heat until thickened.) Season carefully – this dish rarely needs salt as the cheese imparts enough. Serve immediately

RECOMMENDED PASTAFettuccine is synonymous with Alfredo all over Italy, but this deliciously rich sauce makes anything it coats wonderful!

SERVING SUGGESTION | RICH & FAMOUSI love to bling up the basic Alfredo and top each serving with a teaspoon of salmon eggs, a pinch of finely chopped chives, ground black pepper and sprinkled edible gold leaf.

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TASTY TRANSFORMATIONS

AL LIMONEFor a creamy lemon pasta, the juice of 1 lemon and 2 teaspoons of grated zest can be added to this dish, together with a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley. Add the juice in the early stages with the butter and cream. Add the zest and chopped parsley before tossing with pasta.

AL LIMONE I VODKA (Lemon & Vodka)Fir a super-charged version, proceed as with Al Limone above, adding a splash of vodka to when you toss with the pasta. Heat over low heat until the sauce has thickened and the vodka evaporated.

PASTA AL LIMONE (without Cream)Pasta al Limone can also be made without any cream, dressed instead with olive oil, the juice of 2-3 lemons, a couple of handfuls of torn basil leaves and 5 ounces grted Parmesan cheese. Mix the grated zest and juice of the lemons with a generous splash of olive oil, add the Parmesan, and season. Stir into the hot pasta with the basil leaves and plenty of pepper.